New Iberia in Iberia Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)
New Iberia Shipwreck
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, March 29, 2018
1. New Iberia Shipwreck Marker
The wreckage of Teche, a steamship, lies buried below the surface at this site. The steamer, built in 1860, was originally named Sam Sugg and then Tom Sugg. It was constructed for commercial use with a small side-wheeled shallow draft western-style hull design. The Confederate Army subsequently converted the ship to a cottonclad warship to command the White River during the Civil War. After capture in Arkansas by the Union Army, Sugg was re-commissioned as U.S.S. Tensas, converted to an armored gunboat, outfitted with two 24-pounder howitzers and designated Tinclad No. 39 in the Third Division of the Mississippi Squadron. In 1865 after decommissioning, E.B. Trinidad of New Iberia purchased Tensas at an auction and renamed her Teche. The Attakapas Mail Transportation Company used Teche for trade between Morgan City and New Iberia, docking at the foot of the Weeks Street Landing. In 1868 after a wreck, the vessel was pulled against the shore for salvage. In 2004, Teche was discovered sunken at the present location and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The Bayou Teche Museum in New Iberia has an exhibit dedicated to the shipwreck.
Class........ Tinclad river gunboat
Built ...... 1860
Commissioned
this page online
Purchased by U.S. Navy...... September 29, 1863
Commissioned U.S. Navy ...... 1863
Final Decommissioning ......August 17, 1865
Displacement.... . 62 tons
Length ....... 90 ft.
Beam (width)...... 22 ft.
Draft (depth)...... 3 ft., 6 in.
Propulsion... Sidewheel Steamer Two engines - 11" cylinder diameter 3 ft. length of piston stroke
Armament .....Two, 24-pounders
Shipwreck Identification Number ......... 16IB80
Erected by Iberia Parish.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is August 17, 1865.
Location. 30° 0.308′ N, 91° 48.961′ W. Marker is in New Iberia, Louisiana, in Iberia Parish. It can be reached from North Weeks Street south of East Main Street. Marker is located along the Bayou Teche Boardwalk, at the terminus of North Weeks Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: New Iberia LA 70560, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Louisiana’s Acadiana Cajun Country and specifically in Bayou Country. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, Acadia, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bayou Teche (a few steps from this marker); Allain's Jewelry Store / Bijouterie Allain / Joyerνa Allain's (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Shadows-On-The Teche (about 300 feet away); The Murray Building (about 300 feet away); Downtown New Iberia Commercial Historic District
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, March 29, 2018
2. New Iberia Shipwreck Marker
Also see . . . Iberia Parish Travel website. (Submitted on March 30, 2018, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana.)
March 29, 2018
3. Location of Shipwreck
Credits. This page was last revised on November 20, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 30, 2018, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 1,080 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 30, 2018.
